Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-20
COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL. AND COURIER:
 Which is best, to praise or censure? To make ourselves as happy as possible or as on the bright side of things and omits no op- portunity to praise and be thankful. This is the true way to be healthy in mind and body and of course to be happy.
 Now, is the Consolidated railroad, of which many complain, blessing or not? In order to answer intelligently let us go back sixty years Then there was no railroad running out of New Haven. It required five or six hours staging to go to Hartford. It took all the business day to go to New York by boat, and when the harbor was frozen over twelve or fifteen hours by stage. I have known the harbor frozen over six weeks at one time. Now we get up at five o'clock in the morn ing, go to New York, have an entire business day there and return home by seven or eight o'clock in the evening. And at cost less than our hotel bill for one day would be in New York. Surely the change is marvellous, something to be proud of, to be thankful for, to grow fat over and be happy. Now with all of the above inducements to be thankful why should we make ourselves miserable and grum ble and find fault with this little thing and that little thing?
 But someone says it is monopoly. Now, my friend, who created that and other mono poies which have proved great blessings Surely not the rich miser, but the practical, pushing, whole-souled business men of moderate means. They saw the wants of the community and put their hands into their pockets to give us these great facilities to build first the Hart ford railroads, then the New York, North ampton, Shore Line, Air Line and the ''Lit- tie Derby" and the writer, who helped to build three of the above railroads, knows that we have not received two, if one per cent. for our money thus invested. Now since our money has not directly proved profitable and the indirect benefit is shared by all, are not those gentlemen entitled to some thanks?
 Who own these 1nonopolies to-day? The stock is scattered throughout the community. Widows and orphans and many people of small means are owners.
 The Consolidated railroad is of immense value to New Haven. Under it's former president, whom we all know and honor, it leased the Shore Line and Air Line, both terminating in this city, and raised at once their stock to and above par. Under the new president the Northampton railroad has been leased on such terms as make it's stock to-day worth $80 per share on 4 per cent. basis of interest. The highest quotation of it's stock for years was S15. The Consolldat- ed railroad is expending large sums of money to improve and increase it's facilities for busi- ness. It has president who is not only just but generous, and in my opinion we could not have 8 better. I never spoke with President Clark but once. judge him by his acts.
 Then let us cease to find fault and bid them Godspeed. Instead of crushing out weaker corporations, they of their strength have reached out aid and lifted them up and made their stock valuable. Thus so-called soulless corporations have set you and me and all the world an example worthy of inn itation and declared that it is not enough to live and let live, but to live and help others to live. FAIR PLAY.